Location determination using historical data

• US 8,493,952 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2012
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Suryanarayana, Lalitha, Patron, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Ajibade Akonai, Olumide T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/586,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20120309429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 370/338
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0269 Inferred or constrained positioning, e.g. employing knowledge of the physical or electromagnetic environment, state of motion or other contextual information to infer or constrain a position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0295 Proximity-based methods, e.g. position inferred from reception of particular signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining a location based on historical data are disclosed. Generally, a location determination component receives a request for information from a wireless device, where the request is associated with at least two network access points (NAPs). The location determination component determines which of the at least two NAPs has a greater precedence and estimates a current location of the wireless device based on a known location of the current NAP and a known location of a previously-current NAP associated with the wireless device.

Claims

1. A method, for determining a location of a wireless device based on current data and historical data, comprising:

determining, by a processor, which of at least two network access points has a greater precedence and assigning the network access point having greater precedence as a current network access point;

determining, by the processor, an estimated current location of the wireless device based on a known location of the current network access point and a known location of a previously-current network access point for the wireless device; and

receiving, by the processor, a request for information from the wireless device, the request for information being associated with at least two network access points, where the at least two network access points are part of a plurality of network access points each having a respective known location and a unique identifier, the plurality of network access points comprising shorter-range network access points and longer-range network access points;

wherein the estimated current location is biased toward the previously-current network access point when the current network access point is one of the longer-range network access points and the previously-current network access point is located outside of a range of the current network access point.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the known location of the previously-current network access point for the wireless device from a history database component that tracks a sequence of network access points accessed by the wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating an updating of the history database with at least one piece of data selected from a group consisting of:

the estimated current location;

the current network access point; and

network access point-to-network access point transition information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the estimated current location to the wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated current location is within the range of the current network access point and not within a range of the previously-current network access point when the current network access point is one of the longer-range network access points and the previously-current network access point is located within the range of the current network access point.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the shorter-range network access points located within a range of one of the longer-range network access points is assigned a higher precedence than the one of the longer-range network access points.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein each shorter-range network access point has a higher precedence than each longer-range network access point.

8. A tangible computer-readable storage device having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, for determining a location of a wireless device based on current data and historical data, comprising:

determining which of at least two network access points has a greater precedence and assigning the network access point having greater precedence as a current network access point;

determining an estimated current location of the wireless device based on a known location of the current network access point and a known location of a previously-current network access point for the wireless device; and

receiving a request for information from the wireless device, the request for information being associated with the at least two network access points, where the at least two network access points are part of a plurality of network access points each having a respective known location and a unique identifier, the plurality of network access points comprising shorter-range network access points and longer-range network access points;

wherein the estimated current location is biased toward the previously-current network access point when the current network access point is one of the longer-range network access points and the previously-current network access point is located outside of a range of the current network access point.

9. The tangible computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising obtaining the known location of the previously-current network access point for the wireless device from a history database component that tracks a sequence of network access points accessed by the wireless device.

10. The tangible computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising initiating an updating of the history database with at least one piece of data selected from a group consisting of:

the estimated current location;

the current network access point; and

network access point-to-network access point transition information.

11. The tangible computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the operations further comprising transmitting the estimated current location to the wireless device.

12. The tangible computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the estimated current location is within the range of the current network access point and not within a range of the previously-current network access point when the current network access point is one of the longer-range network access points and the previously-current network access point is located within the range of the current network access point.

13. The tangible computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein each of the shorter-range network access points located within a range of one of the longer-range network access points is assigned a higher precedence than the one of the longer-range network access points.

14. The tangible computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein each shorter-range network access point has a higher precedence than each longer-range network access point.

15. A system, for determining a location of a wireless device based on current data and historical data, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium being in operative communication with the processor and having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

determining which of at least two network access points has a greater precedence and assigning the network access point having greater precedence as a current network access point;

determining an estimated current location of a wireless device based on a known location of the current network access point and a known location of a previously-current network access point for the wireless device; and

receiving a request for information from the wireless device, the request for information being associated with the at least two network access points, where the at least two network access points are part of a plurality of network access points each having a respective known location and a unique identifier, the plurality of network access points comprising shorter-range network access points and longer-range network access points;

wherein the estimated current location is biased toward the previously-current network access point when the current network access point is one of the longer-range network access points and the previously-current network access point is located outside of a range of the current network access point.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the estimated current location is within the range of the current network access point and not within a range of the previously-current network access point when the current network access point is one of the longer-range network access points and the previously-current network access point is located within the range of the current network access point.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the shorter-range network access points located within a range of one of the longer-range network access points is assigned a higher precedence than the one of the longer-range network access points.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein each shorter-range network access point has a higher precedence than each longer-range network access point.